Luxe Milonga — the new all-night milonga in Portland! Come join Remanda Xiang and Jenna Rohrbacher at this fresh, modern, and fun event!

Archive for the ‘Event Announcement’ Category

We are very sad to announce July 30th Luxe Milonga at Saucebox has been canceled due to unforeseen issue with event space this month. I know a lot of you are very much looking forward to this event as we are. We sincerely apologize for the last minute cancellation and disappointment you might have.

We deeply thank you for your continued support and we will certainly send out communication when our next big all-nighter in the great tango city of Portland will occur!

Luxe Milonga is Portland’s new all-nighter milonga in downtown! This time , Dancer and DJ Varo Boyajyan will be flying in from glittery LA to teach the pre-milonga class with Jenna and DJ the milonga, which starts at 9:30pm! There will also be a performance at 11:30pm. What’s more, Remanda will be performing a traditional Chinese Gongfu tea service at the beginning of the milonga (9:30-10:00pm) for all to enjoy!
For details, click here: https://luxemilonga.wordpress.com/

Varo and Jenna will be teaching 2 workshops the following day at Saucebox after April 30th’s Luxe Milonga! Varo and Jenna will both share with us their thoughts on and movement in colgadas and vals musicality!

Varo’s immersion into the world of Argentine Tango started in 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

Over the next few years he became an active participant and an integral part of the Los Angeles tango community.

He devoted himself to becoming a skillful social dancer, mastering floor craft, musicality, and establishing connection with the partner.

Varo’s teaching philosophy is rooted in understanding and mastering the foundations of the dance.

Teaching the concept as a sum of the basic elements allows the students to deconstruct and reconstruct movements, and allows them to improvise on their own.

In his teaching Varo places strong emphasis on connection, musicality and the social components of the dance.

Varo’s rapid progression and extensive knowledge has led him to being invited as an instructor for the UCLA’s Argentine Tango classes, as well as becoming permanent staff member at the “Tango Room”, one of premier Tango studios in Los Angeles.

Varo is a founding member and organizer of the SMITH Festival – Santa Monica International Tango Holiday. In 2010, Varo has organized and hosted LARRY – Los Angeles Rapid Response Mini Tango Festival in 2010 and Milonga Querida, featuring US and International artists.

Varo has taught and performed at numerous tango and dance related events in Los Angeles and Southern California, and at festivals around the US including:

At April 30th’s Luxe Milonga, Remanda is going to perform a Chinese Gongfu Tea Ceremony at the beginning of the night from 9:30-10:00pm with 2-3 different kind of black, green, and rare chinese tea collections for you to enjoy.

For those of you who have never heard of Gongfu tea, here is a brief introduction and video to help you understand the process. Remanda is not a professional Gongfu Tea Ceremony preparer, but she is going to try her best to share her knowledge and skill to introduce and perform this ceremony.

Chinese Gongfu Tea is a very relaxed event, and people can speak freely with each other throughout the entire process. It is named after gong fu – which translates into “skill and care” or “to do things well.” However, this ceremony is performed uniquely in different regions of the world.

During the Chinese Gongfu tea ceremony, the most common types of tea used are oolong and green tea, with oolong tea being the favored tea.

Equipment Needed For The Chinese Gongfu Ceremony

To brew tea gongfu-style, you will need the following items:
*A very small teapot, preferably a Yixing style tea pot.
*Small, Yixing tea cups
*Pot to Boil Water In
*Tea Pitcher

Everything done during a Chinese Gongfu ceremony is prepared in small and delicate items, which enhances the elegance and pure nature of brewing tea.

Obtaining a Yixing Tea Pot is essential because of the type of clay used and how it reacts with the tea. Little by little, the porous clay slowly absorbs the flavor of the tea, which seasons the inside of the teapot to the flavor of tea, therefore enhancing the flavor. They are considered the best teapot to use for tea, especially in darker teas like oolong and black. You can choose a yixing at Adagio Teas.

Procedures of the Chinese Gongfu ceremony

The environment should compliment the delicacy of the ceremony. Peaceful, relaxing settings are preferred. Soft, slow music also adds to the serenity of the atmosphere. Incense, flowers, and dim light should also be included for peacefulness.

The water should be boiled, being roughly 210 degrees or so. It should also be clean water. It should be filtered of salt, chlorine, or other chemicals that would inhibit taste.

Immediately pour water into the tea pitchers and serving cups. This brings the temperature of them up so the water doesn’t quickly cool down when it flows into them. It also gets rid of any dust accumulated in them. Finally, discard the water.

The tea is measured and then placed into a Yixing teapot. Adagio Teasoffers a wonderful selection of loose tea for your ceremony. Hot water is then poured into the Yixing tea pots, filling it to the brim. Water may be poured over the teapot to ensure maintaining a high temperature.

Brew the tea for approximately one minute. Some regions measure this time by taking long deep breaths. This further enhances the relaxation and serenity of the environment.

Transfer the tea into the tea pitcher to avoid uneven flavor from top to bottom.

Using a metal filter to catch fine particles may enhance the flavor by leaving out unwanted particles of the tea. However, some say not to use any type of metal during this process. Therefore, using a metal filter is optional.

Using Aroma Cups For Your Chinese Gong Fu Tea Ceremony

Aroma cups are optional, and are used only to enhance the elegance of the Chinese Gongfu tea ceremony. Aroma cups are tall, slender cups. The idea is to quickly pour the brewed tea into them and bring it up to your nose. Smell the aroma from the tea and quickly transfer this to a shorter, wider cup. Then drink your tea and enjoy.

Subsequent brews can also be used, but with varying times on the infusion process. For each additional brew, add one or two long deep breaths to the infusion process. Repeat the rest of the steps the same way.

Here is a video that shows the Gongfu Tea making process in English language:

t is a very relaxed event, and people can speak freely with each other throughout the entire process. It is named after gong fu – which translates into “skill and care” or “to do things well”. However, this ceremony is performed slightly differently in different regions of the world.

During the Chinese Gongfu tea ceremony, the most common types of tea used are oolong and green tea, with oolong tea being the favored tea.

Everything done during a Chinese Gongfu ceremony is prepared in small and delicate items, which enhances the elegance and pure nature of brewing tea.

Obtaining a Yixing Tea Pot is essential because of the type of clay used and how it reacts with the tea. Little by little, the porous clay slowly absorbs the flavor of the tea, which seasons the inside of the teapot to the flavor of tea, therefore enhancing the flavor. They are considered the best teapot to use for tea, especially in darker teas like oolong and black. You can choose a yixing at Adagio Teas.

Here is a Video that shows the process of making Gongfu Tea in English: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/dt6UN6G_zAQ/

We are happy to announce that renowned dancer and DJ Varo Boyajyan from Los Angeles for the April 30th Luxe Milonga!

An avid dancer himself, Varo has a deep appreciation for tango music as a crucial part of the overall milonga experience for each dancer.

As a DJ, Varo strives to create a musical atmosphere that inspires dancers and connects with them on the emotional level.

While DJing, Varo is always connected to the dancers–either by observing the energy and the interactions of the dancefloor, or dancing in the middle of it.

In addition to selecting good individual tango songs, Varo pays detailed attention to the structure of the playlist. He comprises the tandas and the relationship of tandas to each other to establish a harmonious flow of the energy, and to develop emotional-energetic contrasts with a tasteful climax and rise that resonate within each dancer.

Varo regularly DJ’s at milongas in Los Angeles and Southern Calfornia. He has DJ’d along with Otros Aires and Narcotango.